Royal Bengal Tiger’s skin, pair of blackbuck antlers seized from Bhatgachhi

Kolkata: The Kolkata Customs officials recovered the skin of a Royal Bengal Tiger and a pair of blackbuck antlers from Bhatgachhi Village.

Sources in the customs said that these items were being smuggled. A man was trying to smuggle them into India from Bangladesh. With the intervention of the officials, the suspect fled the spot but dropped the bag containing these smuggled items.

Custom sources said the officials acted on the basis of a tip-off. To foil the smuggling bid, the officials laid a trap to catch the smuggler who was crossing the border towards the Indian side with a bag. However, on spotting the officers, the accused fled the spot. Subsequently, a search was conducted.

As per Custom sources, the bag contained a Royal Bengal Tiger’s skin with teeth and nails. Additionally, it also had a pair of blackbuck antlers in it. A case under the Wildlife Protection Act has been lodged. A full-scale investigation has been launched into the matter.

A wildlife and legal expert said that the Wildlife Protection Act allows regulation of hunting of wild animals, protect specified plants, national parks and closed areas, restrict illegal trade and commerce in wild animals or animal articles and miscellaneous matters.

Section 39 of this act specifies that any wild animal hunted, bred, fed, found, killed, alive or dead, shall be the property of a state government.

Further, under Sections 428 and 429 of the IPC, killing, poaching, maiming, poisoning or torturing an animal is a cognizable offence and immediately an FIR must be lodged in the area police station. The punishment for such an act is rigorous imprisonment which may extend to five years or a fine or both.